Martyrs of Natal
| Martyrs of Natal | |
|---|---|
Monument to the martyrs in São Gonçalo do Amarante, Brazil | |
| Died |
|
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 5 March 2000, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 15 October 2017, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, by Pope Francis |
| Feast | 3 October |
| Attributes | Palm branch |
| Patronage | Rio Grande do Norte |
| Notable martyrs | |
The Martyrs of Natal were a group of 30 Catholic people of Colonial Brazil – two of them priests – killed in the northern part of the territory in massacres led by a large group of Dutch Calvinists. One priest was a Colonial Brazilian Jesuit missionary, while the other priest was an evangelizer. The others were all lay Catholics, most of them anonymous members of the Church, some of them children.
The 30 individuals were beatified in Saint Peter's Square on 5 March 2000. Pope Francis – on 23 March 2017 – signed a decree that approved their canonization while waiving the miracle required for sainthood; the date was formalized at a gathering of cardinals on 20 April and the group was canonized as saints on 15 October 2017.